Air blast fire extinguisher



June 21, 1932. c, COSTA 1,863,920

AIR BLAST FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Aug. 13, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l X gwomtoz Cfiarias 086a.

m W W- Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES CHARLES cosm, 015 Low, CALIFORNIA AIR BLAST FIRE EXTINGUISHER Application filed August 13, 1928. Serial N0. 299,140.

This invention relates to an air blast fire extinguisher, and its object is to provide a very light apparatus which is capable of being hauled over very rough ground by the workmen handling it, and putting out a fire by the strong blast of air that is blown from it It will be understood by those skilled in the art that in putting out ground or brush vfire it is practically impossible to carry water place to place. A very slow speed being used but since the machine was passed over all kinds of rough ground and ditches the steering of the machine is done by hand, the engine simply being used to aid the operators 1 in pulling the machine over steep places out of ditches, a speed of about 2 miles an hour being easily made use of.

Another object of the invention in the present case is to provide a hopper into which fire extinguishing chemicals may be placed if that is desired, but the main object of the invention is to provide a fire extinguishing apparatus which will not require a continuous supply of fire extinguishing material. In actual practice it has been ascertained that an engine of about 20 horsepower with a correspondingly large delivery of air from the fan can be made use of, the entire apparatus wheels and frame work, not exceeding 300 pounds in weight, which can easily be transported over very difficult places with the aid of the power of the engine and 2 men or more.

In the drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout the several figures, Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the complete machine, a portion of the air conduit, and chemical feed hopper being broken away for purpose of illustration.

Themachine is supported on the wheels 1 and 2 which have pneumatic tires 3 and 4:, to dispense with the use of springs and reduce weight. i

A rectangular frame having longitudinal members 5 and 6 is carried by the transverse axle said-frame having crossbars 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 1 1 to-supply the necessary support for all of the apparatus. The wheels each are connected to sprocket wheels 16 and 17, around which wheels the chains 18 and 19 pass. LThe chains also passing around the sprocket wheels 20 and 21 on the shaft 22, 23, whichextends through the diiferential casing 24. The engine is indicated at 25, and is supported by suitable bars extending across the crossbar 10, and it has a gear box 26, at one end, a shaft 27, extending therefrom to the differential case 24, while suitable operating rods 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32 and 85 extend from their proper positions on the engine fan and chemical hopper to levers within the reach of the operator at the front end of the frame.

The engine is mounted with its crank shaft, transversally on the machine and with the centre of gravity as near the center of the wheel axis, of the wheel 3 and 4, as possible, and it has a double fan casing 36 at one end. A tube 37 extending from said casing to the rear of the machine where it connects with the outlet tube 38. The tubing 38 has a flexible tubing 39, attached thereto, and this flexible tubing is in turn connected to a sheet metal nozzle 40.

It will be seen that the casing 38 comes out the object being to reduce the danger of turning the apparatus over, tending to make it more stable.

The engine is cooled by any conventional cooling system and is supplied with fuel from the small tank 80. The chemical hopper 81 is mounted over the top of the air conduit 38, and has a cover 82, and a leather flap valve 83, in its bottom, which leather valve can be opened by the operation of the lever 84 and operating rod 85 which extends to the front of the machine, to be in turn operated by the lever 86. The operating handle 87 serves to connect or disconnect the fan, through the rod 33, while the operating rod 30 connects or disconnects the usual clutch conventional in gas engines.

The lever 90 operates a suitable braking mechanism through the rod 31 to arrest the progress of the vehicle at the will of the operator. ,The rod 29 is connected to a lever 29' for'the operation of the spark control, while the rod 28 is connected to a lever 28' pivoted on the quadrant 70. The rod 28 is connected to the throttle for increasing or diminishing the speed of the engine.

Itwill be observed that all of the controls have been placed at the front end of the machine for the convenience of the operator who will steer the machine by walking along with it and turning it as he may desire it to travel. One man will steer the machine and the other carries the nozzle directing it from place to place, and holding on to it by means of the handle 40.

While this fire extinguisher has been satisfactorily described in connection with outdoor fires such as brush fires and grass fires, it will be apparent that it is equally possible to use it in connection with indoor fires if the fire is attacked in its early stages before it gets under way to such an extent as to require water, the dry chemicals used With'the fire being sufiicient to put out indoor fires in their early stages. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows;

' modifications within the purview of the annexed claim being expressly reserved.

A fire extinguisher of the class described, comprising a light two wheel truck, a blast fan having its outlet tube adjacent the ground, a flexible tube connected to said outlet tube, a nozzle on said flexible tube, an engine for driving the fan, andzmeans to control the operation of the fan blast from the front of the truck.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES COSTA. 

